The present invention relates to a printed circuit board zero insertion force connector utilizing an actuating member to move the connector from an assembly position permitting insertion or removal of a printed circuit board into a connecting position properly contacting the printed circuit board and/or vice versa.
Printed circuit board zero insertion force connectors serve to connect two printed circuit boards to one another without any expenditure of force or at least without any significant expenditure of force during insertion of the printed circuit board. Printed circuit board zero insertion force connectors have been known for a long time and in various embodiments.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,351, the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector known from this publication is securely mounted on one of the printed circuit boards to be connected to one another. The connector is designed in such a way that the other printed circuit board to be connected to one another can be inserted therein. The connector is moved by actuating an actuating member formed by a rod, more precisely by pulling on this rod, into an assembly position permitting insertion or removal of a printed circuit board and can be moved into a connecting position properly contacting the printed circuit board by inserting a printed circuit board.
Experience has shown that there are sometimes problems with printed circuit board zero insertion force connectors of this type: on the one hand, it cannot always be guaranteed that a proper electrical connection is made between the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector and the printed circuit board inserted therein and, on the other hand, damage to the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector and/or a printed circuit board to be inserted therein during insertion of the printed circuit board into the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector or removal therefrom cannot be ruled out. Understandably, these are considerable disadvantages.
The object of the present invention is therefore to develop the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector in such a way that printed circuit boards to be inserted therein can always be reliably brought into contact with the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector as required and without damage to the printed circuit boards and/or to the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a printed circuit board zero insertion force connector where the actuating member is actuated by actuating an element which simultaneously serves to lock the printed circuit board to the arrangement containing the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector or to remove it therefrom. As a result a printed circuit board to be inserted into the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector can be locked to the assembly containing the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector or removed therefrom and the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector can be moved into the assembly position or into the connecting position by actuating just one element.
Furthermore, a printed circuit board can be inserted into the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector not only extremely quickly and easily, but also without the risk of damage to the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector and/or to the printed circuit board and without the risk of an improper connection between the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector and the printed circuit board.
In particular it is ensured by the present invention that the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector can only be moved into the connecting position when the printed circuit board to be inserted into the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector is in the position prescribed for this purpose; that the printed circuit board is locked in its required position and is therefore secured against removal from the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector when and as long as the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector is in the connecting position; and that the printed circuit board is not secured to the assembly containing the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector when the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector is in the assembly position. Therefore, operating errors can be reliably ruled out.
The claimed printed circuit board zero insertion force connector allows printed circuit boards to be inserted therein to always be reliably brought into contact with the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector as required and without damage to the printed circuit board and/or to the printed circuit board zero insertion force connector. Advantageous developments of the invention can be inferred from the dependent claims, the description below and the figures.